With a budget of about 1.9 million Euros, the project is divided into 4 components including:COMPONENT 1: Assessment of existing M&E SystemsCOMPONENT II: Standardizing and harmonizing National and N-AMCOW M&E systems and reportingCOMPONENT III: Preparing a North African M&E Action Plan and ProgramCOMPONENT IV: Project ManagementThe project is expected to establish national units for Water Monitoring & Evaluation within the main ministry in-charge of water at the national level in the 6 North African countries. Coordinated at the national level by a national focal point, the national units will work with a national task force consisting of representatives from the main water-related ministries and authorities at the national level. The project will provide these national units with the necessary equipment, and will develop national capacities for better harmonization, standardization, and sharing of water related information. With North Africa being the first sub-region in Africa to start the M&E Water program under AMCOW, the expected harmonized Water M&E system at the North African sub-regional level, will eventually be replicated and implemented at the Pan-African level.

The project's objective is to increase the six North-AMCOW countries capacity in water sector M&E through the setting up of a mechanism that allows N-AMCOW to annually report on the status of the water sector, using harmonized and comparable information.

This will enbale decision-makers of the North African countries to:

i) assess the state of existing water sector M&E system;

ii) establish a sub-regional water sector M&E system and mechanism in place which allows North African countries and N-AMCOW to monitor and report on the status of water sector through standardized data and harmonized information;

iii) prepare a regional M&E Action Plan and Programme and mobilize adequate resources for its implementation through partnerships.

Results

The main outcomes of the project are (i) Better understanding and knowledge of the state of water sector M&E systems, current gaps and developments in the N-AMCOW member countries, (ii) Monitoring system and reporting mechanism established at local, national and sub regional (North Africa) levels to annually report on standardized indicators tracking water resources management and the achievement of the MDGs related to water and sanitation in the North African countries, and (iii) Adequate resources mobilized for M&E infrastructure development, capacity building and awareness program to develop a functional and regular observation mechanism on the water sector in the North African countries.